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Volume 24, Number 10 NON-CIRCULATING Jarmary 15, 1996
'{~oc­\(
CJ.J
3/T57/
~4-ID VCU Voice
A PubHcationfor Faculty and Staff on Virginia Commonwealth University's Acadentic and Medical CoUege of Virginia Compuses
VCU Seeks State Approval for Hospital Authority
With Virgin ia's General Assembly in session for
just under a week now, one of the most important
issues on the table is Virginia Commonwealth
University's request of Gov. George Allen and the
General Assembly to allow the Medical College of
Virginia Hospitals to become a governmental author­ity
- or a quasi-private entity.
The authority model is instrumental in the future
of MCVH and medical education at VCU. Through­out
the process, fac ulty and staff have asked
questions pertaining to the authority, such as what it
means and how it works. The fo llowing questions are
those Dr. John E. Jones, vice president for health
sciences, and Carl Fischer, executive director of
MCVH, believe are foremost on the minds of VCU
faculty and staff. They also share their responses.
Biotechnology
Park Readies
for Opening
hI' Carol I '. DllIllap
l 'Hil 'ersit), Nell 'S Serl'ice,I.;
When Virginia Commonwealth
University President Eugene P.
Trani stands on the platform wi th
Virginia Gov. George Allen and
Richmond Mayor Leonidas
Young to welcome state legisla­tors
to the fully leased, first
completed building in the Vir­ginia
Biotechnology Research
Park. guests will be standing on
property that once was part of a
series of low-cost parking lots.
Located on the north end of
Richmond's downtown, the com­plex
will in its final development
phase represent $220 million in
capital investment.
The Virginia Biotechnology
Center will formally open with a
building dedication set for Jan. 17
to a guest list of the entire Vir­gin
ia General Assembly, business
leaders and city and surrounding
county officials, who contributed
to the development of the park.
"The Research Park represents an
extraordinary amount of regional
cooperation from the City of
Richmond and our neighboring
counties of Hanover, Henrico and
Chesterfield. The potential for
growth in biotechnology and its
benefits to society were quickly
recognized by the surrounding
localities," said Dr. Trani, who is
Please see OPENING, page 2
J OVANOVIC • .JOn S
Q: What are we asking from the General Assem­bly?
What does it mean to become a governmental
authority - is it the same as privatization?
Q: What does it mean to be more competitive and
how will it help the hospital in the future?
A: Though sometimes termed "privatization," VCU
is actually asking the legislature to form a govern­mental
authority for our teaching hospital. An
authority model will allow MCVH to become stron­ger
financially and allow us to be more competitive.
It will open the door to flexibility in personnel issues,
capital planning and outlay and purchasing. We are
not asking the state for separation - in fact, under
the authority model, MCVH wi ll remain subject to
the legislative process in terms of eligibil ity for indi ­gent-
care dollars. The authority model also will allow
MCVH to remain eligible for Medicaid and Medicare
funding.
A: Asking the General Assembly to form an author­ity
is a self-help method of survival. It will add to
what MCVH has already done to keep its doors open.
By allowing the hospital the flexibility to respond to
health-care trends and become viable in the health­care
marketplace, we would be better able to
maintain our revenue base. The authority model also
would allow us to partner with other health-care pro­viders
and open the door for more joint ventures and
cooperation with our counterparts.
Q: What will changes mean for hospital employees?
A: Change is often challenging. In the case of a gov­ernmental
authority, however, it would mean a
Vlrc1Dia
Com_wealth
Ulllve ... lt;y
A trio of snowstonns in the past two lVeeks
left lIearly 2feel of SilO IV in Richmond and
on Virginia Commollwealth Vniversity's two
campuses. Above, Marvin Terry alld Huben
Anderson of Physical Plam shoveled Sf/OW to
clear sidewalks at Franklin alld Harrison
streets, while, left, the snow blanketed
buildings on the academic campus. VCV
employees rallied to help during the
"Blizzard of '96" that paralyzed the East
Coast. "We have some truly dedicated
people, " said Dick Swislock, executive
director of Physical Plant. Among those
pitching in lVas Carl Fischer, executive
director of the Medical Col/ege of Virgillia
Hospitals, who trallsponed many haspital
staff members to atul from work in his four­wheel-
drive vehicle.
Please see Q&A, page 6
Faculty Voice
Comments
on Promotion,
Tenure Draft
by Kyra ScarlOIl Newmall
editor
Faculty and administrators are in­vestigating
altern ative sources of
funding that could allow them to open
up the definition of tenure, according
to comments presented during open
forums on proposed revisions to Vir­gin
ia Commonwealth University'S
promotion and tenure policy.
Such changes would give the uni­versity
greater opportunities to award
tenure to faculty in collateral tracks,
such as clinical posts on the Medical
College of Virginia campus. One of
chief concerns raised by faculty in the
discussion over the proposed Faculty
Appointment, Promotion and Tenure
document is how collateral faculty
would be reviewed.
At the same time, facu lty expressed
concern that decentralizing the tenure
and promotion process would jeopar­dize
the overall quality of the
university and give department chairs
and deans too much authority. More
than 50 faculty members participated
in the three-hour sessions held on each
campus last month.
Historicall y, tenured and tenure­track
positions have been supported
primarily by Educational and General
funds from the state, although some
MeV posts have been augmented with
Please see FORUMS, page 4
ULS : b OVEKNMENT OOCUMt IS
P . O . BOX 8 42033 •

Volume 24, Number 10 NON-CIRCULATING Jarmary 15, 1996
'{~oc­\(
CJ.J
3/T57/
~4-ID VCU Voice
A PubHcationfor Faculty and Staff on Virginia Commonwealth University's Acadentic and Medical CoUege of Virginia Compuses
VCU Seeks State Approval for Hospital Authority
With Virgin ia's General Assembly in session for
just under a week now, one of the most important
issues on the table is Virginia Commonwealth
University's request of Gov. George Allen and the
General Assembly to allow the Medical College of
Virginia Hospitals to become a governmental author­ity
- or a quasi-private entity.
The authority model is instrumental in the future
of MCVH and medical education at VCU. Through­out
the process, fac ulty and staff have asked
questions pertaining to the authority, such as what it
means and how it works. The fo llowing questions are
those Dr. John E. Jones, vice president for health
sciences, and Carl Fischer, executive director of
MCVH, believe are foremost on the minds of VCU
faculty and staff. They also share their responses.
Biotechnology
Park Readies
for Opening
hI' Carol I '. DllIllap
l 'Hil 'ersit), Nell 'S Serl'ice,I.;
When Virginia Commonwealth
University President Eugene P.
Trani stands on the platform wi th
Virginia Gov. George Allen and
Richmond Mayor Leonidas
Young to welcome state legisla­tors
to the fully leased, first
completed building in the Vir­ginia
Biotechnology Research
Park. guests will be standing on
property that once was part of a
series of low-cost parking lots.
Located on the north end of
Richmond's downtown, the com­plex
will in its final development
phase represent $220 million in
capital investment.
The Virginia Biotechnology
Center will formally open with a
building dedication set for Jan. 17
to a guest list of the entire Vir­gin
ia General Assembly, business
leaders and city and surrounding
county officials, who contributed
to the development of the park.
"The Research Park represents an
extraordinary amount of regional
cooperation from the City of
Richmond and our neighboring
counties of Hanover, Henrico and
Chesterfield. The potential for
growth in biotechnology and its
benefits to society were quickly
recognized by the surrounding
localities" said Dr. Trani, who is
Please see OPENING, page 2
J OVANOVIC • .JOn S
Q: What are we asking from the General Assem­bly?
What does it mean to become a governmental
authority - is it the same as privatization?
Q: What does it mean to be more competitive and
how will it help the hospital in the future?
A: Though sometimes termed "privatization" VCU
is actually asking the legislature to form a govern­mental
authority for our teaching hospital. An
authority model will allow MCVH to become stron­ger
financially and allow us to be more competitive.
It will open the door to flexibility in personnel issues,
capital planning and outlay and purchasing. We are
not asking the state for separation - in fact, under
the authority model, MCVH wi ll remain subject to
the legislative process in terms of eligibil ity for indi ­gent-
care dollars. The authority model also will allow
MCVH to remain eligible for Medicaid and Medicare
funding.
A: Asking the General Assembly to form an author­ity
is a self-help method of survival. It will add to
what MCVH has already done to keep its doors open.
By allowing the hospital the flexibility to respond to
health-care trends and become viable in the health­care
marketplace, we would be better able to
maintain our revenue base. The authority model also
would allow us to partner with other health-care pro­viders
and open the door for more joint ventures and
cooperation with our counterparts.
Q: What will changes mean for hospital employees?
A: Change is often challenging. In the case of a gov­ernmental
authority, however, it would mean a
Vlrc1Dia
Com_wealth
Ulllve ... lt;y
A trio of snowstonns in the past two lVeeks
left lIearly 2feel of SilO IV in Richmond and
on Virginia Commollwealth Vniversity's two
campuses. Above, Marvin Terry alld Huben
Anderson of Physical Plam shoveled Sf/OW to
clear sidewalks at Franklin alld Harrison
streets, while, left, the snow blanketed
buildings on the academic campus. VCV
employees rallied to help during the
"Blizzard of '96" that paralyzed the East
Coast. "We have some truly dedicated
people, " said Dick Swislock, executive
director of Physical Plant. Among those
pitching in lVas Carl Fischer, executive
director of the Medical Col/ege of Virgillia
Hospitals, who trallsponed many haspital
staff members to atul from work in his four­wheel-
drive vehicle.
Please see Q&A, page 6
Faculty Voice
Comments
on Promotion,
Tenure Draft
by Kyra ScarlOIl Newmall
editor
Faculty and administrators are in­vestigating
altern ative sources of
funding that could allow them to open
up the definition of tenure, according
to comments presented during open
forums on proposed revisions to Vir­gin
ia Commonwealth University'S
promotion and tenure policy.
Such changes would give the uni­versity
greater opportunities to award
tenure to faculty in collateral tracks,
such as clinical posts on the Medical
College of Virginia campus. One of
chief concerns raised by faculty in the
discussion over the proposed Faculty
Appointment, Promotion and Tenure
document is how collateral faculty
would be reviewed.
At the same time, facu lty expressed
concern that decentralizing the tenure
and promotion process would jeopar­dize
the overall quality of the
university and give department chairs
and deans too much authority. More
than 50 faculty members participated
in the three-hour sessions held on each
campus last month.
Historicall y, tenured and tenure­track
positions have been supported
primarily by Educational and General
funds from the state, although some
MeV posts have been augmented with
Please see FORUMS, page 4
ULS : b OVEKNMENT OOCUMt IS
P . O . BOX 8 42033 •